rate

noun, verb

1 [C] a measurement of the speed at which sth happens: Most people walk at an average rate of 5 kilometres an hour. * The number of reported crimes is increasing at an alarming rate. * Figures published today show another fall in the rate of inflation. * At the rate you work, you'll never finish! 2 [C] a measurement of the number of times sth happens or exists during a particular period: Local businesses are closing at a / the rate of three a year. * a high / low / rising rate of unemployment * the annual crime / divorce rate * His pulse rate dropped suddenly. * a high success / failure rate seealsoBIRTHRATE, DEATHRATE 3 [C] a fixed amount of money that is charged or paid for sth: advertising / insurance / postal rates * a low / high hourly rate of pay * We offer special reduced rates for students. * a fixed-rate mortgage (= one in which the amount of money repaid each month is fixed for a particular period) * the basic rate of tax (= the lowest amount that is paid by everyone) * exchange / interest rates * rates of exchange / interest seealsoBASERATE 4 (rates) [pl.] (in Britain) a tax paid by businesses to a local authority for land and buildings that they use and in the past also paid by anyone who owned a house: business rates seealsoFIRST-RATE, SECOND-RATE, THIRD-RATE IDIOMS at any rate (spoken) 1 used to say that a particular fact is true in spite of what has happened in the past or what may happen in the future: Well, that's one good piece of news at any rate. * I may be away on business next week but at any rate I'll be back by Friday. 2 used to show that you are being more accurate about sth that you have just said: He said he'll be coming tomorrow. At any rate, I think that's what he said. 3 used to show that what you have just said is not as important as what you are going to say: There were maybe 60 or 70 people there. At any rate, the room was packed. at a rate of knots (BrE, informal) very quickly: She's getting through her winnings at a rate of knots. at this / that rate (spoken) used to say what will happen if a particular situation continues to develop in the same way: At this rate, we'll soon be bankrupt. moreatGOINGadj. verb (not used in the progressive tenses) 1 ~ sb/sth (as) sth